Memories Of You
by TheGreatAl
Summary: P3 Novelization. When his grandfather had sent him out to Iwatodai to study at Gekkoukan Private Academy, almost 10 years after the accident that left him orphaned, Makoto Yuki finds himself entangled in the battle for the fate of humanity in a time that does not exist.


**Chapter 1: It begins.**

* * *

><p>A cold breeze blew softly in the air.<br>He blinked once, then again, just to get the thin film of dust out of his eyes.  
>The fire was burning brighter and brighter. The heat was crawling up his skin, first warming, then burning.<br>A loud explosion rang off from the building in the distance.

Makoto couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. The tiny 6 year old glanced around wearily.

_Mommy…? Daddy…?_

He was standing alone on the Iwatodai bridge, cars set a blaze around him. Behind him, his parent's car was burning too. Makoto felt something warm run down his forehead and his hand reach up to his scalp. The wet, sticky liquid dried on his touch. Blood stained his skin.

He couldn't breathe.

_He couldn't breathe_.

His chest hurt.

"I'm… sorry…"

He heard a voice whisper those words to him.

"I'm… so sorry…"

He glanced up at a figure that stood behind the thick smoke that had begun to spill out of a burning truck.

"What have I done…"

* * *

><p><em>Time waits for no one.<br>It delivers us all to the same end._

* * *

><p>"Have you seen it?"<p>

"Seen what?" She asked curiously. She was running her hand through her thick, brown hair. Her slim fingers calloused from years of working in the workshop.

"The news," He replied casually, "They found another one in the alley. You know, the one where all the fuck ups hang?"

"Who is it this time? Did they say?"

"It's another Gekkou High kid." He reached into his pocket and fumbled around for his lighter. Finally feeling the cold steel against his fingers, he flicked it open, lighting the lucky 7 that had been hanging on his lips, "Nothing good comes from hanging 'round there."

She sighed heavily, rolling her eyes at him, "You used to hang out there too, you know. Not too long ago."

"Don't start…"

"Yeah, yeah… Anyway," she said as she stretched out against the bench, "Maybe it's time we headed back? It's almost midnight. We've still got to pack for the trip up to Inaba this weekend."

Kiba nodded lazily, placed his cigarette between his pointer and middle finger and yawned loudly, eyes tearing slightly from the intense sensation of sleepiness that overcame his body. He had almost forgotten about the trip up to Inaba. It would be his first time meeting her parents and the first trip they took together as a couple. Letting his eyes rest for just a second longer, Kiba placed his cigarette back between his lips and reach over to tap at Aiko's shoulder.

"C'mon, let's go alrea—"

He stopped mid-sentence when he opened his eyes. His fingers touched the cold, porcelain surface of a towering, black coffin.

"A-AIKO? !"

He jumped up, cold sweat forming on his forehead. He could feel his heart beating erratically faster. The air around him had grown cold. Water from the fountain turned to blood. Green moss grew up along the concrete walls. A dark fog engulfed everything from within a 10 meter range. An eerie silence consumed everything.

"Jesus fuckin' Christ…"

A soft thud from the fogged distance made him jump out of his skin. With each breath, the dry air scratched against his throat. Unconsciously, Kiba had to keep swallowing his spit to keep himself from choking on the arid fog. Everything the fog touched, moisture seemed to absorb into it, causing the air to taste like dust. Another thud came from the corner, this time louder and much closer. A hollowed sense of dread overwhelmed him.

"If this is a fuckin' joke, I swear to God Aiko—"

A deafening screech rang out from the fog and bloodshot eyes flying towards him were the last thing he saw before the darkness took him.

* * *

><p><em>6th April 2009<em>  
><em>Iwatodai Dorm<em>  
><em>10 Minutes to Midnight<em>

She pressed it against her forehead.  
>Cold steel meeting warm skin.<br>Her fingers trembled, despite her trying her hardest to swallow down her distress. Each breath she inhaled was longer and sharper than the breath before. If she kept this up, she would've begun to hyperventilate.

_Don't be afraid… You have to be stronger than this…_

Just a click. She would only have to push the trigger. It wouldn't even hurt. She'd seen Akihiko and Mitsuru demonstrate it before. It'll be fine. She'll be fine. She'd have to prove to them that she's worth having around… at least long enough for her to find out what she needed to know about that incident 10 years ago, it'll be enough. She just needed to stay long enough.

But still she trembled.

She could feel cold sweat rolling down her face. Her hands had begun to feel clammy and weak. The sound of water running from the sink had become white noise to her ears. It drowned out her thoughts. It had become so loud, she couldn't even hear herself think anymore. There was a strong breeze that blew against the glass pane of her windows. A change in the air.

_I… I can't do it…_

A muted clank hit the carpeted floor.  
>The polished metal surface of the evoker reflected the moonlight off onto the walls. She couldn't bring herself to touch that thing anymore. Outside her window, the trees moved with the breeze, forming menacing shadow claws that seem to be lunging at her legs.<p>

_Why…? Why can't I just..._

She couldn't finish that thought.  
>Her tears just won't stop rolling down her cheeks.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Iwatodai Station<em>  
><em>5 Minutes to Midnight<em>

Tap, tap.

Tap, tap.

The sound of people tapping their transport cards against the gantry card readers.

Tap, tap.

Tap, tap.

He reached forward and placed his card near the reader. A shrill beep sounded off, indicating that his card has been accepted and the gantry opened up for him to exit.

Tap, tap.

Tap, tap.

He stepped out of the train station. A large analog clock hung directly above him.

Tap, tap, tap—

The air around him had grown cold. The puddles on the floor that had been rainwater just a second ago turned red. The sickly sweet stench of blood clung onto every breath he inhaled. However, despite all this, he took another step forward with no hesitation. He ran a hand through his hair as he walked on in the direction of the Iwatodai Dorms, letting his fringe fall in front of his right eye.

Weaving through the maze of coffins that littered the streets, he walked on in silence. Occasionally, he heard the screams echoing through the deadly still air. He's experienced this enough to accept that he couldn't do anything about it. For 10 years, he's known this. A time where everybody slept but him. A special time where he was the only one left in this world. Sometimes, things moved in the shadows. They were filthy things with red eyes and smelly, oozing black goo. Sometimes, somebody would be awake as well. For a while, Makoto would try to help them. He told them to keep quiet, stop screaming, or the red eyes would come. They never listened.

There was once, another boy, who was the only one smart enough to listen and keep his mouth shut. The two boys had hidden themselves under the crawlspace of the old Shinto temple. Makoto had been there with his cousin Naoto. The two of them had snuck out of the house to play Sherlock, exploring the temple. He was Watson and she, Holmes. Makoto had watched Naoto disappear behind a coffin right before his eyes, and that was when he knew that the darkness was here. He knew that as long as she stayed inside, she'd be fine. It was the people who decided to come out of their coffins who'd be in trouble.

The red eyes would come for them.

The two boys stayed under the crawlspace for a while. The boy next to him was trembling and whimpering quietly. The sound of something sliding lazily across the stone pathway towards the entrance of the shrine had jittered the boys. It was the red eyes. It crawled around for a while, as if sensing that someone was around. Its long black arms dug into the ground in front of it, pulling itself towards the direction of the crawlspace.

Makoto looked over at the boy and placed a finger on his lips, indicating for him to not make a sound. If they stayed still for a while longer, maybe the red eyes would go away.

The dark creature continued to crawl towards them, as if it knew that they were there. Makoto could see the fear in the other boy's eyes. The closer the darkness came towards them, the harder his body was trembling. He pressed his finger against his lips again, urgency in his midnight blue eyes. Just a little longer.

The boy whimpered, "… I don't want to die!" And he bolted. Crawling quickly out of the crawlspace, his scrapped up knee and elbows bleeding slightly as he scrambled past the black creature. The boy was crying now, screaming at the top of his lungs as he brushed up against the creature. The red eyes screeched, black claws digging themselves into the boy's torso, and with a swift turn, ripped his chest apart, intestines spilling over the stone path. And then the blackness consumed it.

Makoto couldn't make a sound.

The ominous full moon shone brightly, reflecting against the glistening blood pool.

The red eyes usually didn't _kill _people. They usually just consumed and engulfed people. The next morning, he'd see them same people in the news. Lifeless behind their eyes, but at least their heart was still beating. But tonight…

The red eyes turned towards the crawlspace again. It had consumed the boy. It had grown stronger.  
>Before the red eyes could reach him, however, the time was up. As if it had never existed. As if it was merely a dream, the red eyes disappeared. The green fog was gone. Time had returned him to the living.<p>

That night was the night that had really changed him.  
>For months, Makoto retreated behind his walls. He could only hear that boy's last words, repeating itself in his head like a broken record player.<p>

_I don't want to die…_

* * *

><p>… Was death really that scary…? Why…? Why did he have to run…? Why did he do that?<p>

When grandfather's man-servant had found him and Naoto crying in the middle of the old temple with the mutilated body of another 10 year old boy, he'd decided to send him off to the other end of Japan, separating him from his cousin. It was for his own safety, grandfather had said. They had to hire a therapist to repress Naoto's memories of the incident. The last time Makoto saw her, neither of them had spoken more than 3 words towards each other.

"…" _She glanced about furtively. Nervousness did not suit Naoto. It felt foreign to her and made her stomach feel uneasy, and more importantly, it made her stutter. Her self-confidence was something that she had spent a good part of her life trying to build, what with having suffered from mild amnesia a few years ago. The constant feeling of not knowing, not being the in the loop. Ignorance did not do well with Shirogane._

_And here she was, sitting in a leather arm chair much too large for her. Directly opposite her sat her cousin Makoto. He was visiting for a few days before he was to be shipped out somewhere else. Naoto recalled being closer to her cousin when they were younger. Now there was just an air of tension between them, as if there were things to be said, and yet they couldn't bring themselves to bring it up._

_It wasn't as if Makoto didn't feel it either. He chewed on his lower lip until it started to taste of blood, pretending to read a thick, hard cover novel. His cousin was toying with her new gadget it seems. She had really begun to get into the whole detective, investigative game. Being in the same room as her, it brought back the painful memories of that night._

Back to reality.

The air seemed to get warmer around him. The screams had disappeared around the corner. The stench of blood was beginning to make his head throb, something that was unusual to say the least. He had gotten used to the blood-smells by the time he was 9. It usually only gave him headaches every once a month or so, during which the brightness of the unusually large midnight moon would turn his brain to mulch and made him extremely irritable.

He found himself standing at the foot of the stairs that led up to the Dorm. The architecture of the building was different to say the least. Elegance and class seemed to be the theme, and it had touches of European decals as opposed to the Spartan, minimalist dorms he was used to. With a hand shoved in his pockets, Makoto stepped into the building.

* * *

><p><em>Dark Hour<em>

She could hear the faintest sound of someone opening the front door.  
>Was it Akihiko? He wasn't due to be back until later tonight. Maybe he had forgotten something? She would go downstairs to check on him, but Mitsuru had already called on her and she was supposed to head up stairs to assist her with monitoring Akihiko's jaunt around the vicinity.<p>

Yukari turned off the tap.  
>The water had already turned into blood. The stench of rust was nauseating. She walked over to her window, glancing out into the streets. A couple of black coffins littered the sidewalk. Probably office workers on their way home from a late shift. Possibly the local delinquents on their way down to Port Island.<p>

There was the distinct sound of shuffling coming from downstairs. Somebody was definitely down there, and it didn't sound like Akihiko. The senior tended to make a little too much noise when he moved around, but the sound coming from downstairs was muted. As if the person was being deliberately quiet. It couldn't have been Mitsuru. The sound of her stilettos hitting the tiled floor would have made for a distinctive set of footsteps.

She didn't recall Ikutsuki having plans to come by tonight either. Usually, if the chairman was supposed to come by, they would've been informed prior, and he wouldn't have come by during the Dark Hour. He wasn't a persona user after all. It would've been too dangerous. Having ruled out all possible visitors, Yukari felt a little unsettled. She could definitely feel the presence of someone downstairs. It was the slightly heightened senses that came with being a persona user during the dark hour. You could just _feel _when something wasn't right.

And she definitely heard the door open.

Picking up her evoker from the floor, Takeba strapped on her holster to her thigh and placed the 'gun' inside. She walked down to the second floor, where the boys stayed. By that, she meant where Akihiko stayed. There was only the three of them staying in the Iwatodai Dorm right now anyway. Mitsuru had mentioned once that there used to be another boy who stayed with them, but he left and now Akihiko is the only one staying on the second floor. The other 5 empty rooms have been deserted for a few years at least.

She walked up to Akihiko's door and knocked softly.

"Senpai, are you back?"

There was no response. She tried jiggling the knob for a bit but it was definitely locked, and Akihiko was definitely not home. Again, the sound of footsteps shuffling downstairs made her jump. She could hear the soft hum of the machine that Mitsuru used upstairs. She was probably still in the meeting room. At this point, Yukari had two choices. She could head upstairs and tell Mitsuru about her shitting her pants over something that seems to be running around in the lounge right now, or, she could start proving her worth and check this out herself. It was probably nothing at all anyway. She was always thinking that she heard something somewhere, especially when night fell and she was left alone. And besides, she would never be able to live it down if she'd troubled Mitsuru Kirijo over what was probably nothing at all. As if Mitsuru needed anything else to hold over Yukari's head right now.

"Don't worry about it, don't worry about it," she chanted under her breath as she began walking downstairs. The stairway was dark, almost impossibly so… because the moonlight didn't reach so far in. The moon was always brighter in the dark hour than it was during regular time, and it was usually the only source of light during this time, since electronics don't working when the clock struck 12. She took each step down cautiously, her eyes adjusting to the darkness.

* * *

><p>"It's just a contract… Same old same old," the boy grinned widely at Makoto, "It just says that you'll agree to bear all consequences of your actions."<p>

Their eyes met. His blue ones against the boy's mysterious grey. They knew each other. Or at least, Makoto thought they did. There was a sense of familiarity between them, the way the boy smiled mischievously at him, as if this was all a great big prank. And yet…

He walked over to the document, his body moving on his own. Makoto signed the contract, and the mysterious boy grinned. The air around them grew colder as the boy picked up the signed document and, with a flick of his wrist, the contract disappeared. "It's done," he smiled curiously, unnaturally bright blue eyes shining in the darkness, "Time never waits… It delivers all equally to the same end." He said almost sadly.

Makoto stood there unmoving. He's been used to strange things happening to him since the accident 10 years ago, the things he's experienced, the voices he's heard. This was nothing new. At least, nothing too strange. He's seen worse. The boy took a step back, his body was slowly engulfed in shadowy tendrils. He embraced the darkness, becoming one with it.

"_And so it begins…"_

"Who's there?"

Makoto blinked lazily, squinting slightly into the shadows.  
>There was a girl standing by the foot of the stairs. She was staring at him wildly, looking absolutely terrified of him. He noticed the red armband pinned on her pink cardigan and something strapped to her right thigh, just slightly below the hem of her skirt.<p>

"Y-You!" She gasped, "How did you…!"

Before Makoto could explain himself, another voice boomed, "Takeba, wait!" He squinted again. There was another girl standing by the stairs. Her fiery red hair was obvious even in the dark. She walked down and past the girl she called 'Takeba' and as she stepped forward to Makoto, the lights flickered on. He could finally see the lounge of the Iwatodai Dorms.

"I didn't think you'd arrive so late," the girl with the red hair remarked, "My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I'm one of the students who live in this dorm."

"...Who's he?" The other girl whispered to her companion sharply. She obviously didn't really care if Makoto could hear her, since her 'whisper' was nothing short of a hushed snap. She was watching him with curious distrust, her body rigid.

The red head didn't seem to notice her companion's discomfort as she turned to her slightly, not bothering to whisper, "He's a transfer student. It was a last minute decision to assign him here. He'll eventually be moved to a room in the boys' dorm," she replied coolly.

"And it's okay for him to be here?" The girl asked almost harshly.

Mitsuru smiled gently, but it felt to Makoto that she was smiling not to her friend, but for herself, "I guess we'll see." She turned back to the transfer student standing in front of them, "This is Yukari Takeba. She'll be a junior this spring, just like you."

At this, the girl in the pink cardigan furrowed her brows at Mitsuru, but quickly glanced over to Makoto, bowing slightly, "…Yukari Takeba. Nice to meet you."

He could tell that she still didn't trust him much. For some reason, these people were awake during the shadow hour. They seemed to be completely accustomed to it as well. They weren't screaming, or freaking out. In fact, they seemed like they've experience this before. For a long while, Makoto had thought that he was the only one. The only one still awake.

"… Makoto Yuki," he finally said. Makoto glanced down at the holster on her thigh, "… Why do you have a gun?"

He couldn't see a reaction from Mitsuru, but he could tell from the way Yukari tensed her body and from the way her brown eyes widened just for a second that she'd completely forgotten she had that thing strapped to her thigh. Before Yukari could say anything, Mitsuru gave a small laugh, "You know how it is these days... It's for self-defense." The red head waved a hand dismissively, "It's not a real gun, of course."

Makoto watched Mitsuru carefully, just as she watched him. He decided to drop the subject, having this feeling in his gut that they'll be having a conversation about this eventually. There was something they wanted to hide from him, and now isn't a good time to bring it up.

"It's getting late, so you should get some rest. Your room is on the second floor, at the end of the hallway," Mitsuru commented robotically, "Your things should already be there." She tilted her head towards the second year standing next to her, "Takeba will show you your room." And with that, she handed her a set of keys that Makoto didn't realize she had been holding.

Yukari blinked wildly, but quickly regained her composure, "Y-Yeah, right… I'll show you the way," she exhaled shakily as she stalked past Makoto, "C'mon." She began up the stairs without pause. Makoto followed closely behind, tugging at his duffle bag. The air around them had begun to warm up again, and the sound of their muted shoes stepping on carpet was the only sound he could hear.

Yukari walked all the way down the hallway before stopping in front of a door that Makoto assumed was his. It would be easy enough to remember, surely. She fished out the set of keys that Mitsuru had handed over to her from her cardigan pocket and made quick work of the lock. With the satisfying clink of the lock unlocked, Yukari turned around and smiled.

"Here you go," she said as she handed him the keys. It had a little blue tag that said 'Yuki'. "This is it... Pretty easy to remember, since it _is_ right at the end of the hall."

"I'll be fine," Makoto replied monotonously.

She shrugged, "Some final stuff, house rules and everything," She counted off her fingers, which he noticed to be calloused, despite her outward appearance of being a _girl's_ girl, what with the pink cardigan, short skirt and pretty face. "Don't lose your keys or you'll never hear the end of it. Um, try to label your stuff in the fridge. It just makes everything easier. And we have someone coming in to grab our laundry twice a week, so just have them in the bags on Tuesdays and Saturdays…" she trailed off awkwardly, her body was still ridged around him, "… Well I guess that's it."

Makoto nodded politely. He could feel the fatigue catching up to him. The train ride down to Iwatodai had been unnecessarily long and uncomfortable. Someone had jumped into the tracks earlier that day and train services had been stalled for hours. What he really needed now was to put down his duffle bag, take a hot shower and go to bed.

Yukari rubbed her left arm stiffly, "…say… When you were on your way here," she stared seriously into his eyes, which unnerved Makoto, to be perfectly honest, "Did anything happen…?" At his blank stare, she furrowed her brows slightly, "Was everything okay?"

Makoto nodded slightly, "…Yeah."

The response seemed to relieve Yukari somewhat as her shoulders relaxed. "Alright then." She smiled gently, "I shouldn't keep you up, I guess. Tomorrow's a big day for you." She bowed slightly, "Sleep tight, Yuki-kun. I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

><p><em>7th April 2009<em>  
><em>Monorail<em>  
><em>On route to Tatsumi Port Island<em>

Black jacket, white shirts.

Their monorail cabin was filled with Gekkoukan High School students. Makoto had his headphones looped on his ears, his music blasting loud enough to drown out any background noise. Standing across from him was his dorm-mate, Yukari Takeba. She had a faint hint of dark circles under her pretty brown eyes, possibly because of last night. Makoto observed her briefly from the corner of his eyes. She was of average height. Athletic build, strong calves. She's probably considered pretty in the eyes of the rest of the high school population, Makoto thought.

She was looking out the window, her expression peaceful. It was when their train begun to cross the body of water that he noticed her lips curling into a small smile. Makoto watched her for a while, this time not really trying to hide it anymore.

"… This is my favorite part," Yukari said suddenly, her gaze still set on the waters below them, "It makes me feel like we're gliding over the ocean."

He did not reply. But a thought occurred to him. A thought that he decided to keep to himself for now.

She looked better when she smiled.

* * *

><p><em>Gekkoukan Private Academy<em>

"Have you checked which class you're in?"

They had arrived in school 15 minutes early. Then again, it seemed like everyone did. The lobby was bustling, freshmen wandering about, looking completely lost. The juniors were crowded around notice boards with their homeroom classes taped to it. The seniors were already dispersing into their classrooms.

When they had reached the campus grounds, Yukari was greeted by several people who'd walked by them. He noticed their curious stares, and so did she, just that she seemed to choose not to acknowledge them. They entered the school together, turning heads again. Yukari seemed used to it, but Makoto had been more comfortable being invisible. They stuffed their shoes into empty boxes and changed out to their indoor footwear.

"Yuka-chan!" A group of girls called out to Takeba. She glanced over to them and gave them a wave, a bright smile beamed on her face. Makoto looked at her curiously. She apologized hastily, "I'm going over to catch up with some friends… You'll be okay, right?"

He nodded stoically.

"You should probably go find a teacher to help you get settled." Yukari commented helpfully, "The faculty office is just right down this corridor to the left. First door to your right."

"'kay" he mumbled.

She looked at him strangely, a brow raised in amusement, and gave a small laugh, "See you around, Yuki-kun."

* * *

><p>"As you begin the new school year, I'd like each of you to remember the proverb, 'if a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well.'" The pudgy, grey haired man standing on stage spoke animatedly into the microphone, "When applied to student life, this means..."<p>

Akihiko yawned slightly as he principal droned on with his speech. He could barely wake up on time this morning, having spent the previous night on patrol around the block. The shadow activity had been unusually high recently, even more so last night. There had been yet another victim that he couldn't save. The screams had become more frequent, and his legs couldn't take him there fast enough.

When he had returned home last night, dejected again, Mitsuru decided to stay up with him. Apparently the transfer student had arrived right in the middle of the Dark Hour, only a little after he himself had left the building. His unusual arrival had unsettled Mitsuru, and she very rarely admitted to feeling anything other than confidence and determination.

The two of them sat down at the couch in the lobby, Akihiko waiting for his instant soba to cook while Mitsuru rested her eyes for a bit. He urged her to go to bed. She was only staying up because she knew he was feeling sore about not being to save another victim.

"I know how you get when you feel like you've failed someone," she had said. Her eyes were closed as she rested her chin on the palm on her hand, her right leg crossed gracefully over her left. She placed her elbow gently on the armrest. This was one of the rare instances where anyone would see Mitsuru Kirijo let her guard down. "… You know I can't sleep when I know you're in one of your moods again."

"You really don't have to, you know," he sighed. Akihiko reach over to his soba and lifted the flap. Looks like he'd have to wait a little longer. "… And it isn't a 'mood'." He frowned, "I was only a block away. I heard him. I just…" Akihiko sighed as he let himself sink into the couch, "I was too slow. Too weak."

"Akihiko…" Her voice was chiding. He could feel that little edge to her voice even though her eyes were now half-lidded, glaring softly at Sanada even in her advanced stage of fatigue.

He liked that she only showed this side of her to him… Well, Shinji too, but now it was only the two of them. The three of them shared something special. A bond that transcended above their own selves. It took what happened to Shinji to tear them apart, but even then, Mitsuru still kept an eye on Aragaki, and Akihiko continued to stay by her side. They were all injured people. Hurt and broken immensely. But they still had each other. The three of them were each other's emotional crutches.

"… So how's Takeba handling it?" He asked.

Now it was Mitsuru's turn to sigh. "Naturally, she's not too happy that I've kept his arrival from her." She let herself stretch her legs, releasing the built up tension in her knees. Again, it was not something _anyone _would see Mitsuru Kirijo do. In front of all but Akihiko or Shinjiro, Mitsuru was perfectly poised and elegant.

"To be honest," Akihiko said as he reached for his soba, which was finally ready, "I don't really understand _why _we had to keep his arrival a secret… The more the merrier, isn't it? We need the manpower."

"It's not that simple, Akihiko," the red head sighed again, this time out of actual fatigue instead of exasperation. "I was contacted by his grandfather. A very influential man in the business, and an old friend of the family. He was sure that Makoto had the _gift_."

"So he decided to send him grandson here?" Sanada frowned, thoroughly confused.

Mitsuru nodded slightly, "Shirogane-san wanted to be sure. And he's mentioned that if Makoto does have the potential, then he should be persuaded to join the fight." Akihiko could see a slight hesitation in Mitsuru's form, "… Apparently Makoto has his own demons to deal with… One that has been haunting him for many years... Shirogane-san is convinced that this is the only way."

Akihiko gave a small huff, a sad smile formed on his lips, "… We're all the same, aren't we? You, me, Takeba and now him."

Mitsuru said nothing, but Akihiko could see his own sad smile mirrored on her face.

They were all the same.

* * *

><p>"S'up, dude? How's it goin'?"<p>

Makoto glanced up, only to see one of his classmates standing by his desk, grinning widely. The boy wore a blue, worn out baseball cap, faded drastically from repeated washing. He seemed pretty average, with no real distinct features except for the goatee that seemed to grow out only because he was too lazy to shave.

"Do you need something…?" He replied monotonously. Makoto did not socialize. He's spent too much time alone and being painfully awkward as a child growing up to learn how to interact with other humans.

The boy's grin seemed to grow impossibly larger, "Oh, come on. Let me introduce myself, at least." He poked a thumb into his chest as he introduced himself, eyes shining, "I'm Junpei Iori. Nice to meet ya. I transferred here when I was in eighth grade."

Junpei gave a small, condescending laugh as he placed his palm on Makoto's desk and leaned on it, "I know how tough it is bein' the new kid... So I wanted to say, 'hey'" He shot the transfer student a friendly wink, "See what a nice guy I am!"

"Don't you mean 'annoying'?"

The two boys turned around to face the voice.

Makoto watched as Yukari strolled towards where he sat. When her eyes met his, a small smile lit up on her face.  
>"Hey Yuki-kun."<p>

"Hey, it's Yuka-tan! I didn't think we'd be in the same class again." Junpei scratched a spot on his chin as a mischievous smile begun to spread across his lips.

Yukari smoothed out the creases on her skirt, not even glancing up at Junpei as she sighed in exasperation, "At it again, huh?" She folded her arms across her chest, at which, Makoto noticed, several of the other boys in their classroom turned to stare at. "I swear, you'll talk to anyone if they'll listen… Did you ever think you might be bothering someone?" She commented sharply.

Junpei seemed perfectly used to Yukari's remark as he shrugged, "What? I was just bein' friendly!"

The brunette finally let a small smirk form across her lips, "If you say so," she turned to Makoto, who'd been watching their exchange curiously, and quietly. "Hey Yuki-kun. Looks like we're in the same homeroom…"

Makoto shrugged slightly, "We'll be seeing a lot of each other, I guess."

"Tell me about it," she laughed awkwardly.

Junpei waved a hand in front of Yukari's face, which she responded with an irritated glare. "Um, hello? Are you forgetting that I'm in this class too?" He huffed. Iori rubbed his chin as he glanced between Yuka-tan and the new transfer student, "By the way, I heard you two came to school together this morning…" He watched their reactions carefully with a smirk, "What's up with that? C'mon, gimme the dirt!"

A fierce blush begun to creep onto Yukari's cheeks. Makoto could quite literally feel her body temperature warm the air between them, "Wh-What are you talking about!? We live in the same dorm." She glared sharply at a grinning Junpei, "There's nothing going on, okay? Why are people even talking about it!?"

"What!" Junpei laughed, "Popular girl walks into school with mysterious new boy on the first day of school. It's gossip fodder!"

"Geez," she exhaled loudly, rubbing the bridge of her nose. When Junpei seemed to have sauntered elsewhere to talk to another classmate, Yukari leaned down to Makoto, who had been tuning out most of the conversation. He was a little surprised at their close proximity. He really wasn't used to his personal space being invaded like that. Not that it was an _invasion _per say. He didn't mind the clean smelling scent of her hair as she leaned in a little too close.

"Hey..." her voice was a barely louder than a whisper, "…You didn't say anything to anyone about last night, did you…?"

He shook his head, which seemed to relieve her as she smiled gently, "Alright, good… Look sorry about last night… I was just caught by surprise and didn't react appropriately…"

"C-Caught… by… surprise…?"

Yukari jerked back from Makoto when she heard Junpei's voice disturbing close to them. The lanky teen was standing right behind Yukari, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging slightly ajar. "… He… caught you by surprise… last night…?"

"J-JUNPEI."

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><p><strong>AN: Review? I'd really like to hear your thoughts about this :)**


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